Nongkrong (non-goal oriented hanging out)

Nongkrong can be roughly translated to "non goal-oriented hanging out". It is a practice in Indonesia of drinking tea, conversing with friends about nothing in particular, and just being. It is a thing to do with out actually doing anything. It is a social space with no agenda. As one writer goes on to explain, "if you are feeling deeply and existentially alone, you can always nongkrong with friends to lift your spirits."

As 2017 begins it is becoming more and more evident that we all need spaces to exist in without pressure or agendas, time to let our brains breath and enjoy ourselves and eachother in this existence. We need it for our bodies, for our minds, and for the strength and sustainability of the action(s) and community(s) that we are all a part of.

So, we want to give it a try! The last Saturday of every month we'll be gathering for a few hours in the gallery to nongkrong together. We'll provide the tea - you bring yourself.

Here is an excerpt from an article that delves into the how/why/what of nongkrong in more depth (link here http://bit.ly/2ioGoU5):

"For many of Yogyakarta’s artists, nongkrong is an essential aspect of how both their art practices and communities function and flourish. In the city’s many art spaces groups of friends cluster amoeba-like, around overflowing ashtrays, coffee cups, and plates of fried snacks. They sit, lean, or lounge at various angles, getting up to wander about and return in a fluid orbit...Coming, as I do, from an American context, I am trained to speak about time in market terms. “Time is Money”, as we say, something that can be spent or wasted, but above all should be productive. This hyper-capitalist valuation of time muddles an understanding of how nongkrong functions. At surface level this constant hanging around may appear incredibly unproductive. However, I have come to understand that nongkrong as it is practised among Yogya’s artists, intellectuals and activists is actually a profoundly productive and creative practice that functions without overt regard to the capitalist model. Thus, I have come to think of it as more akin to “non-productive time”—neither overtly goal-driven, nor unproductive in the capitalist sense. Rather than focusing on end-product productivity, nongkrong offers a holistic view of art as a long-term social process. It is a site of potential action, a social space that is all about the pleasures of sharing time with friends."